A year where women dominated the music industry and new songwriters were taking the world by storm, 2023 has brought so much to the music scene. Although it is so hard to have just 4 favourite albums this year, here are my top personal picks of the year.
4. 4th Wall – Ruel
Ruel’s debut album released on March 3rd 2023, highly anticipated from his growing audience from previous Eps. He encapsulates the feeling of letting go of relationships in every form whilst also staying true to yourself, all within your late teenage years – a time where every feeling feels like the world is collapsing. This is seen through the build-up throughout the album, with the song, “End Scene,” where the production hits the highest point and feeling almost like you are watching the end credits of a film.
As well as this, the term ‘4th Wall’ is used when “breaking the 4th wall”, meaning breaking the barrier between those communicating and those receiving, often within theatre. I believe this is done musically through this album through lyrics such as, “We only fall in love with things that ain’t really real,” in ‘Japanese Whisky.’ This is through the personification of the audience in “we,” inviting them to feel almost how Ruel felt when writing the song, which seemed to be the feeling of liking the idea of something more than the actual action.
Favourite song – End Scene
3. Good Riddance – Gracie Abrams
One of the songwriters who took the world by storm in 2023, was Gracie Abrams. Prior to her start on the ‘Eras Tour’ as an opener, she released her highly anticipated debut album. With her true lyrical honesty and raw vocals, this record delves into the many emotions and complexities when reflecting on past situations. Starting with, ‘The Best,’ the lyric, “Now I feel terrible ‘bout how I handled it” signifies own guilt whereas with the last song on the record, ‘Right Now,’ there is a lyric that stuck out to me that repeats, “Think I’m more alive somehow.” Throughout the journey of heartbreak and reflection, Gracie can now reflect more positively on how the experience has helped her now live her own experiences truthfully. Not to be over it but to be better off because of it within the long run. I think this goes along well with how a lot of the songs on the record, such as ‘Difficult’ have an up-tempo production style with contrasting lyrics that are more melancholic. This is similar to the healing journey that anyone can face. The root of it being that the healing process is never linear. Personally, I can see how Gracie Abrams encapsulates that feeling so well within this record, using her strong lyricism at the forefront.
Favourite song – Difficult
“Gracie Abrams @ El Rey Theatre 03/05/2022” by jus10h is licensed under CC BY 2.0. (cropped)
2. The Show – Niall Horan
One of the running themes that I personally find throughout these albums are that they take you on a continuous story and there is an overall subjective theme. Therefore, there is a personal experience that is written from the artist but the listeners can take it and interpret it within their own lives. This is done successfully through ‘The Show.’ Throughout this record, Niall takes us on a beautiful journey of true love and growth in oneself from that. An earlier track on the record that stood out to me is, ‘Never Grow Up.’ This shows how he wants to keep the childlike spirit he holds and hopes he can share that with the person he is in a relationship with – that they “grow old’” together “but never grow up.” As society expects us to reach certain milestones at a certain age, and perhaps grow up fast – this song is a good reminder to hold onto that spirit.
A song later on the record that also stands out to me, is ‘Science’. The lyrical honesty expresses mental health struggles, in a different manner to most songs, which I see connects with me more. An uplifting anthem to remind listeners that no matter how tough times do get, those emotions you face are at the core, are ‘just science’ and above it all, ‘there is still a heart beating in your chest’ – meaning, we have greater strength then we think. Breaking these songs up with intervals of happy and healthy love anthems, this album gives you a sense of comfort.
Favourite song – Never Grow Up
“Niall Horan The Show Live on Tour” by Niall Horan is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. (cropped)
- Guts – Olivia Rodrigo
Following the huge success of her debut album, ‘Sour’, Olivia Rodrigo releases another Grammy-nominated album – showing that there is no sophomore slump when it comes to this artist. With her unique songwriting ability, she explores the trials and tribulations of being nineteen, leaning into more rock influence. This pop-rock genre that Rodrigo begins to explore, starts off strong with the first track off the album, “all-american b*tch.” The lyric, ‘I am light as a feather, I’m as fresh as the air,’ in the second verse, contradicts the repeating lyric in the choruses, ‘I know my age and I act like it.’ Alongside that, the production also builds with it, to a massive point before exploding at the chorus. You would hear something similar in a 2000s coming-of-age film. Here, Olivia is sharing how she is graceful and kind but she can also show different emotions and experience teenage angst, and really be confident in herself, despite societal views. She expresses how there are such double standards for women, that it is almost unattainable as well as wanting teenagers to grow up too fast. We see this theme at the end in the last song, ‘Teenage Dream’, with the lyric, ‘I’m sorry I couldn’t always be your teenage dream’- also alluding to Rodrigo’s rise to fame and dealing with the music industry.
Throughout the record, there are themes of love, heartbreak, confusion, and self-growth, with lyrics that resonate with everyone, no matter who they are. Her and Dan Nigro, who closely worked with her on this album, made sure both high volume production songs were met with acoustic, stripped back songs – to tell that story. Olivia speaks more intimately about her experiences in this album than ever before, using her lyricism so vulnerably and beautifully – an aspect of her as a singer that stands out and connects her with her fanbase. The singer has previously mentioned how she has taken a poetry class at college, bringing that knowledge to the album and we can see that. ‘Lacy’ became one of those songs. Overall, a soundtrack that summarises the teenage girl experience, but Rodrigo allows this album to be a soundtrack to anyone’s life.
Favourite song – Get him back
“Guts World Tour Logo” by Olivia Rodrigo is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. (cropped)
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